Shows / The Covert Narcissism Podcast
The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Covert narcissistic abuse crushes one’s soul. This podcast is devoted to understanding covert narcissistic abuse, its effect on the victims, and how to heal.
Episodes
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
The Moment Connection Turns Into Correction: Covert Narcissism in Conversations
In this episode, we explore a subtle but deeply damaging communication pattern often seen in covert narcissism—when connection turns into correction. What…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Codependency, Trauma, and Why Boundaries Change Everything: Barb Nangle (Part 1)
If you struggle with codependency, covert narcissism, or feeling stuck in one-sided relationships, this episode will help you understand why. If you’ve ever…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
The Vampire Effect Part 2: Why You Feel Dead Inside After Covert Narcissistic Abuse
What if leaving the relationship doesn’t mean you’re free? In this episode, we continue The Vampire Effect series and explore what happens after prolonged…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
The Vampire Effect: How Covert Narcissists Drain You Emotionally
What if covert narcissistic abuse doesn’t feel like an attack… but like a slow drain? In this episode, we explore The Vampire Effect—a powerful metaphor that…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Why Do I Still Miss My Narcissist? Understanding Trauma Bonding
Why do you still miss someone who hurt you? If you’ve experienced covert narcissistic abuse, this question can feel confusing, frustrating, and even shameful…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Covert Narcissistic Abuse: How to Move Forward Without Rushing Your Decision
If you’re trying to heal from covert narcissistic abuse but feel unsure about your next step, this episode will meet you where you are. In part 2 of this CNG…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
The War Inside You: Why Part of You Still Misses Them (Covert Narcissistic Abuse)
Why do you still miss them… even after everything you’ve been through? If you’ve experienced covert narcissistic abuse, you may find yourself stuck in an…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Covert Narcissism: You’re Allowed to Pause Before Deciding to Stay or Leave
If you’re in a relationship that feels confusing, overwhelming, or emotionally draining, you may be wondering if you’re dealing with covert narcissism—and…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
5 Questions to Ask Yourself When Covert Narcissism Might Be in the Room
Last week’s episode explored why covert narcissism appears to be thriving in today’s culture and the conditions that allow these behaviors to remain hidden. In…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Covert Narcissists' Unspoken Rules: Why You Always Feel Like You're Failing
In relationships with a covert narcissist, control doesn’t always appear as obvious demands. Instead, it often shows up through a confusing set of small…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Why Covert Narcissism Is Thriving in Today’s Culture: 5 Conditions That Allow It to Hide
Is narcissism actually increasing, or are we simply becoming more aware of it? The truth is that narcissistic traits have always existed throughout history…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Recognizing Covert Narcissism: From Self-Blame to Clarity (Part 2)
In Part 2 of this community chat, we move from confusion to clarity. After years—sometimes decades—of minimizing behavior and blaming themselves, these women…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Covert Narcissism and Children: Signs the Kids Are Hurting
If you are living with covert narcissism in your marriage and starting to notice changes in your children — depression, anxiety, slipping grades, withdrawal…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Covert Narcissism Community Chat: Why Was It So Hard to Call This Abuse? Part One
Why is it so difficult to recognize covert narcissistic abuse when you’re living inside it? In Part 1 of this community chat, Olivia, Cindy, and Shannon share…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Covert Narcissism and the Nervous System: Why You Feel So Reactive
If you feel “too emotional,” hypersensitive, or unstable in your relationship, this episode will help you understand what is really happening. Today we are…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Covert Narcissism Q&A: Clarity, Boundaries & Radical Acceptance (Part 2)
In Part 2 of this Q&A pulled directly from the Covert Narcissism Group Facebook page, we continue answering the real, unfiltered questions so many of you are…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Gaslighting in a Relationship: The Subtle Signs You're Not Imagining It
In this episode, we break down what subtle gaslighting looks like in covert narcissistic relationships and why it’s so hard to recognize. You’ll learn how…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Covert Narcissism Q&A: The Questions You’re Afraid to Ask (Part 1)
In this special Q&A episode pulled directly from the Covert Narcissism Group Facebook page, I’m answering some of the most honest — and often unspoken —…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
The Loneliness of Covert Narcissism: Why You Feel Invisible Even When You’re Not Alone
If you feel lonely even when you’re not alone, this episode will help you understand why. In The Loneliness of Covert Narcissism: Why You Feel Invisible Even…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
The Exhaustion of Always Being the One Who Tries With a Covert Narcissist
Today’s episode is about covert narcissism and the deep exhaustion that comes from always being the one who tries in the relationship. If you’re living with or…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Am I the Problem? Self-Blame and Covert Narcissistic Abuse
Today, we unpack how covert narcissistic dynamics quietly train thoughtful, self-reflective people to carry blame that was never theirs. In this episode, we…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
The Reality of Covert Narcissism Within a 42-Year Marriage
What does covert narcissistic abuse look like when it unfolds slowly over decades—without obvious explosions, without outsiders seeing the damage? In this…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Covert Narcissism and Over-Explaining: Why Pausing Brings Relief
Many survivors of covert narcissistic abuse feel calmer the moment they stop explaining themselves. In this episode, we explore why over-explaining becomes a…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Covert Narcissism in Dating: Jacquie Roar Shares Her Story of Survival and Healing
Dating someone with covert narcissistic traits rarely feels abusive at first. In fact, it often feels intoxicating—intense attention, deep emotional…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Covert Narcissistic Dynamics: Is This Normal Marriage Struggles or More Than That?
This episode explores how to tell the difference between normal marriage struggles and covert narcissistic dynamics. We focus on the subtle patterns that…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Why Do I Still Doubt Myself? Self-Questioning After Covert Narcissistic Abuse (Community Chat)
If you understand covert narcissism intellectually—but still find yourself questioning your memory, your reactions, or your decisions—you’re not alone. In this…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Covert Narcissistic Abuse: Why Nothing Changes No Matter How Hard You Try
In this episode, Renee Swanson talks about the painful reality many survivors face after awareness begins: why nothing improves—even when you communicate…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Smear Campaigns and the Loss of Family, Friends, and Safety with Eleanor Marks
Smear campaigns don’t just distort the truth—they dismantle trust, fracture relationships, and leave survivors questioning where it’s safe to stand. In this…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Navigating the Confusion of Covert Narcissism: What Is Actually Wrong in My Marriage?
If you feel confused, unsettled, or unable to name what’s wrong in your marriage—even though nothing sounds “bad enough”—this episode is for you. Many people…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Covert Narcissism Recovery: Starting the New Year Without Pressure
Healing from covert narcissistic abuse doesn’t follow a calendar—and January doesn’t require clarity, decisions, or resolutions. If you’re entering the new…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Holidays With a Covert Narcissist: When Survival Replaces Celebration
In this episode, Renee Swanson discusses the challenges of navigating holidays with a covert narcissist, emphasizing the emotional toll it takes on family…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Covert Narcissist: The Grinch Who Steals It All
In this Christmas-themed episode, Renee Swanson explores the impact of covert narcissism on personal relationships, particularly during the holiday season…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Covert Narcissism in Marriage: The “Try Harder” Myth That Traps You
Covert narcissism in marriage keeps survivors trapped by the belief that if they just tried harder, the relationship would finally improve. If you’re exhausted…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Covert Narcissism Recovery: How You Know Healing Is Happening
Covert narcissism recovery often shows up quietly—through internal safety, self-trust, and a nervous system that no longer lives on high alert. Many survivors…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Covert Narcissism and Trauma: Why You and Your Kids Stop Talking
Covert narcissism and trauma quietly teach adults and children that silence feels safer than honesty. If you’ve noticed yourself going quiet, choosing your…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
The Physical Signs You Didn’t Know Were Trauma Responses, Part 2: How to Calm a Dysregulated Nervous System After Covert Narcissistic Abuse
In Part 1, we uncovered the surprising physical symptoms of trauma that often go unnoticed — the jaw tension, the tinnitus, the eye twitching, the constant…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
The Physical Signs You Didn’t Know Were Trauma Responses, Part 1: How Covert Narcissism Shows Up in Your Body
When you live in the backwards, upside-down world of covert narcissistic abuse, your body often understands the danger long before your mind can name it. The…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
How to Talk to Your Adult Children About a Covert Narcissistic Parent Without Badmouthing
Talking to your adult children about a covert narcissistic parent is one of the hardest and most emotionally loaded challenges survivors face. You’re carrying…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Fawning vs. Codependency: Why Survivors of Narcissistic Abuse Get Misdiagnosed
So many survivors walk into healing believing they were “codependent,” when the truth is far more compassionate and far more accurate: What you were doing…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Thanksgiving Special: Healing from Covert Narcissistic Abuse Through Self-Gratitude
This Thanksgiving episode is unlike any you’ve heard before. Instead of forcing gratitude outward—toward family, toward traditions, toward circumstances that…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
How Unsafe People Erase Your Reality And Safe People Restore It
In Part 2 of this story, we pick up right where the alligator encounter left off — not with danger, but with the emotional aftershock that followed. My body…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
When Every Conversation Turns into Confusion: The Communication Breakdown of Covert Narcissism
In a healthy relationship, conversations might be difficult at times—but they are possible. You can talk, clarify, repair, and understand each other. But when…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
I Kayaked Over an Alligator And Finally Understood My Trauma Response
In this episode, I’m taking you with me on a peaceful Florida river… right up to the moment my kayak bumped over what I thought was a floating log. Except it…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Not All Covert Narcissists Look the Same
Covert narcissism isn’t one-size-fits-all. Some manipulate through silence, others through guilt or tears. Some quote scripture, some play the victim, and some…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Distraction Tactics of Covert Narcissists: Why Nothing Ever Gets Resolved
Ever feel like you’ve been living in a circus you didn’t sign up for? In this episode, Renee Swanson uses humor to shine a light on the exhausting emotional…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Parental Alienation and Covert Narcissism: When Your Kids Are Used Against You
What if your greatest fear as a parent has already come true? You can feel it — your child pulling away, repeating phrases that don’t sound like them, looking…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Why Am I So Angry? Resentment After Covert Narcissistic Abuse Explained
Resentment is one of the hardest emotions to face after covert narcissistic abuse—because it shows up long before you even realize what’s happening. You start…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Beyond Blame: A Message for the Children of Divorce
When a marriage falls apart, the story children see is often only a small part of what truly happened. One parent may look angry or reactive while the other…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
When Your Mind Won’t Stop: Escaping the Trap of Catastrophic Thinking After Covert Narcissistic Abuse
If your mind can take one tiny worry and turn it into a full-blown disaster movie, you’re not alone. That’s catastrophic thinking — and it’s one of the most…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
But They Had a Rough Childhood”: When Excuses Become Permission Slips for Abuse
We’ve all heard it—“But they had a rough childhood.” “They just don’t know any better.” “You have to feel sorry for them.” Yes, empathy is beautiful. But at…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
How to Handle Triangulation: Protecting You and Your Children
Triangulation doesn’t stop just because you see it. In fact, once you recognize the pattern, the covert narcissist often pushes harder, twisting words…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Covert Narcissism Unmasked: Sarma Melngailis on Manipulation, Awakening, and Resilience
In Part 2 of my conversation with Sarma Melngailis, we dive into the turning point—the awakening after covert narcissistic abuse. Sarma shares the moment she…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Covert Narcissist Triangulation: How They Control the Narrative and Divide Relationships
Triangulation is one of the covert narcissist’s most insidious tools — because it’s quiet, invisible, and devastating. It’s how they control the narrative…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
From “Bad Vegan” to Truth Teller: Sarma Melngailis on Covert Narcissistic Abuse and Self-Discovery
Sarma Melngailis—best known from the Netflix docuseries Bad Vegan—joins me to reveal the story the headlines never told. In this powerful and deeply human…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Reactive Abuse: Why Survivors of Covert Narcissism Eventually Snap
You didn’t just wake up one day and decide to slap them. That moment — the one that now fills you with shame and self-blame — didn’t come out of nowhere. It’s…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
When Survivors Gather: The Power of Shared Stories and Safe Spaces After Covert Narcissistic Abuse
What happens when survivors of covert narcissistic abuse come together in one safe space? At our recent CNG retreat, fifteen women gathered with fear, doubt…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Why Being Yourself Feels Dangerous with a Covert Narcissist
Have you ever wondered why just being yourself feels like walking through a minefield with a covert narcissist? Why your joy, your truth, your boundaries, even…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Bird in a Cage, Part 2: Finding Freedom After Covert Narcissistic Abuse
In Part 2 of my conversation with singer-songwriter Caryn Dixon, we go deeper into the journey of leaving—and staying gone—from covert narcissistic abuse…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Pull Back Your Supply: How to Test the True Nature of a Relationship with a Covert Narcissist
What happens when you stop pouring all your energy into someone else and start investing it back into yourself? In a healthy relationship, your self-care is…
- The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Bird in a Cage: Caryn Dixon’s Journey Out of Covert Narcissistic Abuse (Part 1)
In this first half of my two-part conversation with singer-songwriter Caryn Dixon, we explore the story behind her new EP Bird in a Cage—a raw and vulnerable…